Improvement in car-couplings



L-LA-UTH,

Gar-Couplings. I No; 155,454, 7 Patented Sept. 29, 18-74.

WITNESSES INV ENTOR.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB LAUTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155.454, dated September 29, 1874; application filed July 16, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J A0013 LAUTH, of Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Couplers for Railway- Cars, of which improvements the following is a full, clear, and exact description, which will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, and in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation representing two railway freight cars provided with my improved coupling; Fig. 2, a top view of the same, and Fig. 3, an end elevation of one of the said cars.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

In the drawing, A represents a freight-car. B is the draw-head or buffer. This draw-head is forked in front, the forked end consisting of the projecting arms a a, both lying in the same horizontal plane. The outer ends of these arms are such in their dimensions as to perform the functions of buffers, being sufliciently large to strike with certainty corresponding ends upon another car as the cars approach each other. C O are bolts, connecting the outer ends of the arms a a. D D are hooks, freely mounted on the bolts 0 G, each bolt being provided with a hook arranged near one of the arms a a. One of the hooks should be arranged near one of the arms, and the other near the arm diagonally opposite thereto, when the cars approach each other, so that the hooks will not then strike each other. Each hook D D extends rearward from the bolt, on which it is mounted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. They also extend forward equally from the bolts. E is a vertically-sliding bar, arranged on the end of the car, and extending to the rear end of the hook mounted on the buffer on the same car, it being understood that the lower end of the said bar is in contact, or nearly in contact, with the rear end of the said hook when the latter is in a horizontal position. F F are horizontal bars or levers, pivoted to the end of the car, and arranged in the manner shown. The inner ends of the levers F F are slotted longitudinally, as shown in Fig. 3; and e is a pin rigidly attached to the bar E, and passing freely through the slots in the ends of the levers F F.

In order to couple cars by the means now described, the hooks, which are beveled on the ends in the manner shown, are arranged in a horizontal position, being retained therein by means of the contact of their rear ends either with the lower end of the bar E or with the buffer, and the forward ends of the hooks being considerably the heaviest. As the cars approach each other, the hooks will ride over the bolts opposite to them, and thus couple the cars, it being understood that the forward ends of the hooks are capable of being tilted upward sufficiently to engage the said bolts.

In order to nncouple the cars, the bar E is pushed downward, and as this bar extends to the roof the cars may be readily uncoupled from that point. When the brakeman or other attendant is upon the ground, he can readily uncouple the cars by pushing upward the outer end of either of the levers F F, by which means the bar E is thrown downward,

in the manner described, and with a like result.

In order to set the hooks for coupling, the parts E and F F are returned to their original position.

It will be perceived from the foregoing description that the parts shown and described constitute a self-coupler capable of being uncoupled with facility. This coupler may be used in connection with any draw-head or buffer which will admit of the tilting movement of the hooks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A self car-coupler, consisting of the combination of the tilting hooks D l), each extending rearwardly from their bearings, the vertically-sliding bar E, and the pivoted levers F F, the said bar and levers being jointed to each other at the junction of the inner ends of the said levers, all substantially as specified.

JACOB LAUTH.

Witnesses:

MICHAEL CURTIS, F. F. WARNER. 

